Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopic Analysis of Gas Hydrate and Hydrate-Bearing Sediments
EMSL Project ID
3261
Abstract
Before large scale commercial recovery of natural gas from hydrates can be attempted, important issues regarding reservoir stimulation techniques, safety, and cost must be addressed. Reservoir modeling is an important tool that can be utilized to help address these issues. However, application of these modeling tools requires access to reliable thermodynamic, kinetic, and physical property data for gas hydrates and physicochemical properties of the hydrate bearing sediments themselves.Very little is known about mechanisms of hydrate formation and dissociation in porous media. Imaging of hydrate behavior during dissociation could lead to a better fundamental understanding of hydrate dissociation mechanisms. In this project, environmental scanning electron microscopy will be used for the first time to directly image dissociation of gas hydrate at the individual pore scale. Unlike a conventional SEM that operates under high vacuum, the ESEM allows exposure to gases, albeit still at relatively low pressure. However, by using a cryostage on the instrument, methane gas pressure can be adjusted to maintain hydrate stability while the sample is in the instrument. Thus, a complete survey of the sample can be obtained without losing the hydrate in the process. We then plan to increase the sample temperature above hydrate equilibrium conditions and record the dissociation process in situ via a video imaging system.
Project Details
Project type
Exploratory Research
Start Date
2003-01-16
End Date
2006-01-03
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members